This is an unhackneyed and generous selection which reflects both artistry
and an original approach. British music enthusiasts will want to seek it
out for its rare Milford, Rubbra and Head.

The album is stunning, visually speaking, and there are extensive (English
only) notes but no texts. The latter is no real hardship as Ian Ford's diction
is well defined in the English texts. There are however lapses in accent
(try the Brahms) and blips in breath control noticeable in the French and
German songs which were never designed to be sung by such a voice. Ford,
who avoids the 'hoot' beloved of succeeding generations of boy altos, is
lovingly accompanied in a bell-clear acoustic.

The Schubert is nicely paced but the voice is strained and exertion is apparent
with a similar problem carried over into the Schumann which however includes
some beautifully held high notes - equally well done in Après un
rêve. Mandoline is trippingly done. No reservations about
the lovingly shaped Quilter song which is much better suited to Ford's voice.
The same can be said of the Handel and the Head with its quasi-Handelian
Christmas feel. Whenever I hear King David I am reminded of the Janet
Baker Saga disc. Ford does it very well with some lovingly floated high notes
- a very suitable song for such a voice. Wayman's swaying ballad is again
well suited to Ford's voice - a touch of Sondheim and mid-west USA. Rubbra's
The Night is a slow and meditational song. Good to see it in this
company.

The bright opulence of Micheelsen's organ solo Präludium paves
the way for his touching settings of 1937. The deep notes in the Ives arrangement
do not convince but all is compensated for by Robin Milford's simple sing-song
setting. More Milford please. The Cornelius is of similar simplicity. Of
the Britten songs Corpus is extremely finely done (there are some
lovely moments in these settings) as is Walking in the Air (a trademark
song amongst boy altos)..

First reactions to 75+ minutes of solo boy alto is unlikely to be favourable
at least in my case. In fact, bar the flagged issues of breath control
and accent (intermittent defects) this makes a refreshing collection though
inevitably pitched at a narrow audience.

Rob Barnett

NOTE: The disc can be ordered from Andrew Plant at 01728 452081 (phone/fax);
andrew@theredstudio.com. The price is only £5.00 plus £1.00 for
post and packing. Please obtain a quote from Andrew if you would like to
order from outside the UK.